Fluid coupling



Jan. 16, 1945. R. 4 MILLER 2,367,364

FLUID COUPLING I Filed Oct. 3, 1942 3 Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jan. 16, 1945.

R. J. MILLER F'LUID COUPLING Filed Oct. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i IN 60 INVENTOR. EQrMoAwJ/V/MEE R. J. MILLER FLU'ID COUPLING Jan. 16, 1945.

Filed 001:. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jam-16, 1945 FLUID COUPLING rtaymond J. Miller, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Hydraulic Brake'C-ompany, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of California I Application October 3, 1942, Serial No. 460,641

(Cl. e-54) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid couplings.

. Broadly the invention comprehends a fluid coupling including a driving and driven member providing in conjunction with one another a fluid circuit and automatically actuated means for 'control of the circuit during operation of the coupling.

An object of the invention is to provide a fluid coupling including an impeller and a runner providing in conjunction with one another a fluid circuit, and means for control of the circuit actuated by centrifugal force introduced by rotation of the coupling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid coupling including an impeller and runner providing in conjunction with one another a fluid circuit, and means for control of the circuit actuated by pressure on thefluid in the cincuit and by centrifugal force introduced by rotation of the unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a fluid coupling embodying the invention; i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the impeller;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view ofthe runner;

Fig. 4 is. an enlarged detail view of the shutter;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a.runner, partly broken away, illustrating a modification of the invention; I

' centrically disposed hub l4 bolted or otherwise secured to the shaft i8 and a. hub l6 arranged in oppositely disposed relation to the hub l4, and the hub H has therein an axial bore' I8, and

filled in this bore is a closure plate 20 anda bearing 22,

A sleeve 24 supported for rotation on the hear ing 22 in axial alignment with the driving shaft l0 extends through the hub l6. The sleeve has one end closed 'as'by a'phig 26. This end of the sleeve has a circumferential flange 28, and interposed between this flange and the hub 16 is a fluid seal 30 for inhibiting seepage of fluid from the housing, and splined to the other end of the sleeve is a clutch member 32.

Pin bearings 34 and 36 arranged in spaced relation to one another in the sleeve 24 support for rotation a driven shaft 38; and a retaining ring '40 sleeved on the driven shaft, and secured to the sleeve, serves to retain the clutch member 32 against displacement. The driven shaft extends through a sleeve 42 on a transmission housing, not shown, and splined on the driven shaft for rotation therewith and relative axial movement is a clutch member 44 for cooperation with the clutch member 32.

An impeller'indicated generally at 46 includes an outer shroud 48 secured to the inner wall of the housing l2. This outer shroud has thereon spaced blades 58 supporting inner shrouds 52 and- 54, and these inner shrouds are arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation to one another and to the outer shroud 48 and extend from the edges of the blades arcuately and inwardly of the blades.

A runner indicated generally at 56 includes an outer shroud 58 secured to the flange 28 on therotatable sleeve 24 and braced as by a ring 60. The outer shroud 58 has thereon blades 62 supporting inner shrouds 64, .66 and 68 ar.- ranged in spaced relation to one another and to the'outer shroud 58. The shrouds 66 and 68 register with the shrouds 52 and 54 of the impeller, and are contiguouswith one another, and

'the shroud 64 is contiguous with the shroud 66.

a short-dead end circuit 12, a relatively long dead end circuit 14, and a continuous circuit 16, and these circuits are intersected by the gap 18. The structure hereinabove described constitutes the basis of a copending application for improvement in Fluid couplings flled April'5, 1941, Serial 6. No. 387,096, of which this application is a continuation-impart, and is recited here solely to provide a suitable background for the instant invention. In fluid couplings of this particular type,

and, in fact, many other types, there is an inherent drag between the driving and driven member due to'a differential in speed of the driving and driven members. The maximum drag occurs when the driven member is substantially at rest and the driving. member is rotating at a speed just suflicient tocause the runner to rotate. The

the gap 10 between the impellerv and associated runner Springs 82 and 84 are mounted'on the bracket 1 I8 in spaced pairs, and each pair of springs supports a shutter 86 normally at rest in the gap I0 so as to efiectively close the circuit 16. The spring 82 is aheavy tension spring, and the spring 8! is a relatively light compression spring. Thus, when the shutter 86- moves from the gap 10 under the influence of centrifugal force introduced upon rotation of the coupling, the spring 82 is placed under tension and the spring 84 is placed under compression. This results in movement or withdrawal of the shutter 86 from the gap I0 in substantially a vertical plane parallel to the edges of the blades of the impeller and the runner.

Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7. In this embodiment of the invention, the shroud 58 has a flange 88 sectionalized and deformed to provide a plurality of spaced yokes 90 supporting pintles" 92 having fixedly secured thereto shutters 94 normally retained in the circuit I6 by springs 9% embracing the pintles, and having their respective ends secured to the yokes and engaging the shutters. As

tween the free ends of these springs are of such contour as to provide an inclined face H2 presented as the coupling approaches the position of the shutters is substantially in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation'of the coupling.

While this invention has been described in connection. with certain specific embodiments, the

principle involved is susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. .The invention is, therefore, tobe limited only as indicated by the scope. 'of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

- runner opposed thereto and providing in conshown, the shutters 94 have shanks 88 provided with stops I00 adapted to engage-the rim of the shroud 58 so. as to limit the movement of the shutter into the-circuit I6 and to support the shutters in the position of rest. Upon rotation of the coupling, the shutters 94 move from the circuit 16 under the influence of centrifugal force,

and this I movement of the shutters is proportionate to the speed of. rotation of the coupling. Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 8. In this embodiment of the invention a bracket I02 supports a cowl I04 expling between the blades of the impeller and the runner. As shown, ,the springs I06 are heavy tension springs, and the springs 108 are rela-- tively light compression springs arranged immediately above and in parallel relation to the tension springs, and the shutters H0 secured be- Junction' therewith a fluid circuit, and gates mounted on the exterior 01' the runner and projecting into the circuit between'the exit of the impeller and the entrance to the runner for closing the circuit'activated by dynamic pressure .on the fluid in the circuit and centrifugal force to open the circuit.

2. A fluid coupling comprising an impeller and a runner providing in. conjunction with one another a fluid circuit and means mounted on the exteriorv of the runner, having a portion normally projected into the circuit between the impeller and runner for closing the circuit therebetween, said means operative to move radially completely from the circuit under the influence of dynamic pressure on the fluid in the circuit and centrifugal force imparted by rotation of the runner.

3. A fluid coupling comprising an impeller and a runner providing in conjunction with one another a fluid circuit and means mounted on the exterior of the runner comprising parallel springs normally supporting gates between the exit of the impeller and entrance to the runner, said g"tes being acted upon by dynamic pressure on the fluid 

